


The melody of our lives

by Windfighter



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, Musical References, The Author Regrets Everything, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 07:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20597144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windfighter/pseuds/Windfighter
Summary: Tony and Bucky plays a game of "What's that song" where Bucky taps out different songs and Tony tries to guess what they are. Tony proves to be better at the game than Bucky would have guessed and Bucky makes it his mission to find one song that Tony doesn't know.Succeeding might not be what he wants to though.





	The melody of our lives

**Author's Note:**

> I stumbled over a certain [post on tumblr](https://monobuu.tumblr.com/post/187610246104/hawkbucks-bucky-tapping-soft-random-melodies) and was struck by inspiration.
> 
> Sadly I'm not a very good writer so I probably butchered it but...
> 
> Have some WinterIron!

It starts before they even get together. The first time it’s easy because Bucky has been humming the stupid song for _days_ and it’s stuck in Tony’s head as well. A simple tapping on the table as they eat breakfast together, Tony working on his tablet and Bucky reading a news paper. Tony doesn’t guess so much as he just starts singing along to the gentle tap-tap-TAP, tap-tap-TAP

“♫ Turn away and slam that door ♫”

The crew watched the movie just a couple of days ago. Bucky stops tapping, stares at Tony with his eyes wide. Tony blinks, realizes what he has just done. He grins towards Bucky.

“Mindreading.”

Bucky scoffs and returns to the news paper, clenching his hand in his lap so he doesn’t start tapping again.

The second time they’re sitting in Tony’s workshop. Bucky’s metal arm is offline and open with Tony’s fingers buried inside it. It doesn’t hurt, he can’t feel it while it’s offline, but sitting still is frustrating and after all the years as an assassin he’s done with being still and quiet.

(If you ask anyone else they will disagree)

It’s a little harder this time. Bucky’s fingers starts tapping, not to the song currently playing in the workshop but the one that’s on repeat in Bucky’s head. It was on the radio before he walked down to Tony’s lab. he taps the whole song out twice before Tony even notices what he’s doing. Tony looks at his fingers and Bucky wants to stop, he should stop. Tony’s gaze is burning and Bucky wants to throw something out, make the genius go back to focusing on his arm. Tony mutes the music with a simple gesture, sticks his tools into the arm again. Listens to the tapping as if it was the most important thing in the universe.

“♫ Everything that kills me makes me feel alive ♫”

Tony’s eyes gets cloudy and Bucky stops tapping.

“Do I need to worry?”

Tony smiles, closes the arm up and brings it back online.

“You just worry about keeping that arm from getting busted again.”

Bucky knows he’s being dismissed and he nods, jumps down from the table and leaves the workshop.

The third time is when the magic starts happening between them. Not that it hadn’t been there before, but this time it’s different from their normal flirtatious bantering. More raw in a way Bucky had never expected from the billionaire. Open. Stripped bare. He finds Tony in the living room, pressed into the wall between an armchair and a table.

Tony doesn’t react to him and Bucky is almost swept away by panic as well. He almost cries out for Steve, or Bruce, or Natasha, or anyone that knows Tony better than he does. Almost inaudible noises excape from Tony - pain, fear, stuff he wouldn’t want anyone to hear. Bucky only picks them up thanks to his enhanced hearing. He does the only thing he can think of.

He grabs Tony’s hand.

Tony tenses on the floor. Bucky can’t speak, his voice has abandoned him. He doesn’t know what he could say to help anyway. He’s left with touch and he caresses Tony’s hand with his thumb. It seems to soothe Tony, but doesn’t bring him back, doesn’t make him aware.

Bucky starts tapping. A song from… before. He hadn’t realized anything from before was still in there, least of all the music. It was slow, soft. He barely touches against Tony’s hand to imitate the melody. It is intimate, not at all fitting for the situation. He knows he should tap out something Tony plays in his workshop, but his mind is blank.

He repeats it. Over and over and over. Tony’s face regains some color, his eyes not yet open. He starts tilting forward, as if he’s about to fall over. He does, lands against Bucky’s shoulder. It’s awkward the way they’re sitting on the floor, Tony still squeezed between the furnitures, Bucky turned slightly to the side so Tony can rest against his shoulder. Bucky’s hand still holding Tony’s, still tapping out the music. Tony nuzzles his face against Bucky’s neck. His breaths are quick, shallow, and Bucky wants to ask if he’s in pain.

“The…” Tony’s voice trembles. “The way you look tonight.”

Tony swallows. Bucky’s eyes turn wet and he laughs, keeps tapping the melody out, wraps his other arm around Tony and pulls him closer. Tony tucks his head under Bucky’s chin, pressing as close as he can without either of them moving.

It turns into a game after that. The tapping. The first song was easy, the second wasn’t that hard either with it always being on the radio, and Bucky learns that the third song is still almost as popular as it was back in the 30′s. It takes off during a meeting when Steve is coming down hard on Tony. Tony stands his ground, won’t budge no matter how much Steve is shouting at him, he shouts back just as well. They’re all used to that by now. But Bucky sees the way Tony’s shoulders tense up, sees the way Tony’s hand clenches inside his pocket. Tony is standing. Steve is standing. There’s a table between them and that’s probably the only thing keeping them from getting into a fist fight right then and there. Bucky is seated next to Tony and he lets his hand fall down, places it against Tony’s knee. His fingers starts tapping and Tony freezes.

Bucky smirks. He knows he’s being mean, but that doesn’t mean he’s feeling bad about it. Steve keeps shouting, but Tony swallows, takes a few deep breaths. He doesn’t seem to know who to focus on.

“Bucky… please”, he groans out after half a minute. “Paradise City.”

His hand come out of the pocket and massages his forehead and Bucky considers that a win. He removes his hand from Tony’s knee and Tony falls back into the chair. The air goes out of Steve as well, now that Tony isn’t riling him up further.

The next time they’re watching the news. Bucky places his hand on Tony’s thigh and after only a few seconds Tony rolls his eyes.

“Iron Man.”

They listened to it just an hour earlier.

Tony is preparing dinner. Bucky slides up next to him, rests his hand on Tony’s ass. He barely starts tapping before Tony whacks him with the spatula.

“Highway to hell. Bucky, _please_, I’m working.”

Bucky laughs and sits down, watching him work.

Tony is in his lap. They’re sitting in the couch waiting for the others to come home. They’re just relaxing, enjoying the silence. Bucky is leaning back, almost asleep, and Tony is working. Bucky’s hand is resting on Tony’s knee, tapping away on it and Tony starts humming along.

“♫ You shook me all night long ♫”

Bucky smiles and drifts off to Tony’s humming.

They’re in the bed. Bruce finally got Tony to leave the workshop after a two-days workbinge. Tony falls into bed, crawls up next to Bucky. He tucks his head beneath Bucky’s chin, presses close to Bucky’s body. Bucky wraps an arm around Tony, pulls him even closer, as if trying to get them to fuse together. His hand lies on Tony’s arm, fingers curled over his biceps. He kisses Tony’s head and doesn’t even notice that his fingers have started tapping out another melody. Tony bumps his chin with his head then settles in again.

“Goodnight my love.”

Bucky blushes and stops tapping. Tony falls asleep five seconds later.

Tony’s working. Bucky is sitting on the couch in the workshop. Tony rolls his chair back, eyes dancing over the holograms infront of him. His hand lands on Bucky’s chest, finds Bucky’s arm, trails along it until he manages to grab Bucky’s hand. Bucky squeezes Tony’s hand, Tony continues working. He’s frowning. The music has been turned off. Bucky’s fairly certain he’s sporting a headache but he knows there’s no use in trying to get him to turn the work off and take a break.

He taps Tony’s hand with his thumb. It’s not as clear as with the index finger, and Tony doesn’t pause in his work. After a while he smiles.

“Something there. Beauty and the Beast. You have to do better.”

Bucky gets up from the couch, kisses Tony’s head and leaves the workshop to fetch coffee for his partner.

Breakfast. Tony’s showing Bucky something on the tablet, Bucky has his arm slung over Tony’s shoulders, his fingers tapping away. Tony elbows him in his side.

“Stop being cheesy.”

“You don’t know it?”

“My dreams are getting better all the time.”

The rest of the team rolls their eyes and Bucky laughs, ruffles Tony’s head and rests his head on Tony’s shoulder. Tony continues showing him something on the tablet but he doesn’t even care what it is, too busy enjoying having Tony near.

“Chattanooga Choo Choo”, Tony says and Bucky has barely even started.

“You’re cheating, aren’t you?”

“Mind reading, didn’t I tell you?”

Bucky tries another ten songs from the 30′s and 40′s. Half of them takes a couple of repeats for Tony to figure out but he always does it. So he moves on to more modern songs. Umbrella, Single Ladies, Dancing Queen. Tony figures it out easily.

He goes for Russian songs. Songs he heard while he was the Winter Soldier. Tony’s face is laced with pain, but he manages. He strokes Bucky’s hair and tells him sorry over and over again. Bucky doesn’t know what he’s sorry about, but he isn’t ready for that conversation as he struggles to keep the memories at bay.

Sam has realized what they’re doing, what Bucky’s doing. He grins and suggests stupider and stupider songs each day. Tony never fails. Bucky is starting to suspect that Tony has bugged the living room. Tony admits that the whole building is bugged, but says that he doesn’t listen to it. Bucky’s not sure what to believe. He hugs Tony, says “I love you” and drops the subject.

He gets something called K-pop stuck in his head when Peter visits. Tony is abroad for SI-business and has left the other Avengers to take care of him. Bucky’s just glad he trusts them enough for it. They have come such a long way. When Tony comes back and rolls up next to him in bed, he starts tapping out a song on his back. Tony gets up on his elbows, raises an eyebrow.

“Really, Buckaroo? DNA by BTS?”

Bucky groans and covers his face with his hands.

“Peter’s fault. How do you know all these songs?”

“Not my fault you take the popular ones.”

Tony rolls up against him again and Bucky covers him in a blanket, listens to his breathing and heartbeat as he falls asleep.

He goes for classical music after a suggestion from FRIDAY, who has also notices the game. Moonlight Sonata, In the hall of the mountain king, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, The Four Seasons. Tony doesn’t even hesitate.

The game dies out a little after that. Bucky is out of ideas. He still taps out melodies on Tony whenever he has one stuck on repeat in his head, but he has stopped trying to stump Tony, stopped trying to find one the genius doesn’t know.

Tony still rolls up against him every time he comes to bed. Tucks his head under his chin as Bucky taps out melodies on his back or arm. He doesn’t always guess, because they both know he knows the songs already. It’s calm, they have found their rhythm. Their own kind of melody. Bucky has found happiness with Tony’s weight on his chest.

Tony is in a hospital bed. A mission gone wrong and Bucky sits by his side, holds his hand. Waits. And waits. And waits. It feels like years, but it has only been minutes.

Hours.

Days.

Bucky feels like crying. He’s been tapping out the same melody over and over and _over_ on Tony’s hand. Tony is pale, but he’s finally off the ventilator. The heart monitor beeps unevenly, but the uneven beeps are consistent and the doctors aren’t worried. They say it’s his heart condition and Bucky wishes he had asked Tony more about that.

The rest of the team comes and goes. Strange stops by, checks Tony over. Tells Bucky it’s looking hopeful, that Tony will wake up any day now. Any second. Bucky squeezes Tony’s hand, keeps tapping the melody.

Bucky feels like he’s about to fall apart. It’s the middle of the night, the room is dark except for the machines and a small lamp in the corner. Bucky can’t sleep. He taps Tony’s hand, strokes his hair. Rests his gaze at his own lap because he can’t stand seeing Tony so still. Can’t look up without his eyes filling with tears. He hasn’t left the room for a week.

There’s a gentle squeeze on his hand. His head snaps up, brown eyes are looking at him. They’re tired, but open, and Bucky can’t keep his tears away any longer. He lets go of Tony, gets up from the chair and gives Tony a careful hug. Tony is quiet, contemplating. Bucky shivers, lets go of him.

“Are… how are you?”

“I…”

Tony’s voice is hoarse and Bucky reaches for the water, helps the genius drink. Tony closes his eyes and Bucky sits down, grabs Tony’s hand again. Taps the melody out one time, two times, five times. There’s a slight frown on Tony’s forehead and he looks at Bucky. He gives a weak smile.

“I don’t know that one”, he whispers before falling back asleep.

Bucky stops, his heart stops. He lets go of Tony’s hand, buries his face in his hands. A painful sound rips from his throat before he can stop it.

“You do”, he cries, leaning his elbows against Tony’s bed, his face still hidden in his hands. His cheeks are wet. He feels like he’s drowning. “It’s Iron Man.”

Tony is still asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> heh yeah.... sorry about that. It was supposed to be cute fluffy humor but
> 
> yeah of course I had to get in a bit of angst in there for no reason at all.


End file.
